Cult kicks: New Balance 574

Not just another New Balance number, iconic bestseller the 574 has become the brand’s signature shoe since its introduction in 1988. It turns out suede and mesh are the stuff that legends are made of.

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Our story begins in 1906, the year that William J Riley, a Brit in America, founded his small-fry business the New Balance Arch Support Company with the noble aim of improving footwear fit for his local Boston residents. The brand’s inaugural foray into trainers came in 1960 with the Trackster, the first running shoe available in multiple widths. The sneaks incorporated a ripple sole and a triangular support system apparently inspired by the way that chickens balance on their three-toed feet. Sounds legit to us.

Nearly 30 years later, New Balance made the 574 for the first time using leftover fabric from the production of its predecessor the 576, but these inauspicious beginnings didn’t stop the sneaker from making waves in both the sport and fashion stratospheres. Dick Beardsley finished second in the Boston Marathon wearing 574s and the old school, barely-changed design is now coveted by everyone from Nas to Will Ferrell.

As if you weren’t already impressed enough, this New Balance heavyweight also comes in countless colourways and is customisable via its own website. Spoilt for choice? We hear the grey-on-grey is the hottest ticket.